The MHA for Torngat Mountains has stepped down from the PC Party of Newfoundland and Labrador to sit as an Independent.

Lela Evans, who is from Makkovik, was first elected to the House of Assembly in the 2019 general election defeating incumbent Liberal Randy Edmunds.

She held on to the seat for the PCs earlier this year, receiving nearly 89 per cent of the vote.

In a letter sent to the party this morning, she offered her thanks for the support shown to her over the last two years, but says she’s come to believe that the PC Party is not the right party for her, or her district.

She says she will continue to fight to “expose the long history of provincial government neglect that has resulted in the large gaps in services and infrastructure” in her district.

Speaking outside the House of Assembly, Evans explained that the decision to leave the PC Party has been a long time coming for her.

She says her district has been poor on infrastructure and services ever since confederation, and she believes the only way she can change some of the attitudes that exist is to make the general public aware of what’s going on.

She thinks her district has been cheated out of services and supports in the past, and sometimes they weren’t even aware of it.

She states that they trusted government to be fair to them, but there is no fairness or justice in government, rather, it’s about who can navigate things the best.

She says right now, she can’t be a member of the PC Party because she needs to bring those issues forward.

PC Leader David Brazil says he was saddened and disappointed to learn of Evans’ departure, noting that he had no idea that it was coming.

He says he’s disappointed that Evans didn’t reach out to him to discuss her scenario and the rationale behind her decision.

As a party, he says they respect her decision.